To anyone who grew up south of the Mason-Dixon
line, this recipe will seem mundane. But to the uninitiated—those
deprived of suicide sodas and Frito pies at the middle-school
cafeteria or Roller Town—Frito pies are an extraordinary
treat.
An authentic Frito pie MUST be served in the bag and eaten with a plastic
fork (or better yet, spork). After your first pie, you may make it in
a dish and eat it with regular flatware. But if you're a Frito Pie virgin,
you gotta do it middle school cafeteria style your first time.
For one Frito pie:
Big Grab of Fritos (Dainty appetite? Use the snack-sized bag)
One cup of chili with beans, canned or homemade* (adjust accordingly
for non-Big Grab)
grated Cheddar cheese
Plastic fork
Accouterments (your choice): sour cream, onions, tomatoes, lettuce,
pico de gallo, cilantro
Snip across the side of the Fritos bag (an authentic Frito pie MUST
be served in the bag and eaten with a plastic fork). Pour in the chili,
top with cheese and anything else your heart desires. Then stick the
fork into the bag, mix it up into a sloppy mess, and enjoy! More fun
that a funnel cake at the flea market!
Frito pie is best served with Coke or beer. If the chili is especially
hot, a cool glass of milk will help soothe your weary palate.
*A tasty compromise for homemade chili:
1 can chili without beans
1 can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped coarsely
Add-ins: cumin, chili powder, chopped
jalapeños
Mix up the whole mess and your favorite
add-ins to taste. Heat it up on the stove or in the wave.
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